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| Dilapidated: Wooden pillars have been destroyed by heat and humidity, and can collapse any time. — Photo baovinhphuc.com.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI – A 19th century communal house dedicated to Vietnamese people’s ancestors - 18 Hùng kings - in Vĩnh Phúc Province is in poor condition.
Located in Đình Chu Commune, Lập Thạch District, in the northern province, the communal house was built in 1803 under the reign of King Gia Long (1762-1820). The house has five halls arranged the shape of “J”. The central hall is reserved for the worship of 18 Hùng kings, while the one at the back is dedicated to the village’s patron saint.
Having various sculptures of the Nguyễn dynasty style, the house is considered as an example of the architecture of the region’s communal houses in the 19th century.
“This is a heavily decorated house with some very beautiful carvings on wooden pillars and beams,” researcher Nguyễn Đức Bình, an official from the culture ministry, told Việt Nam News.
“Some of the carvings are almost intact and priceless for historical research.”
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| Falling apart: The roof has several holes, resulting in sunlight and rain entering the house. – Photo dantri.com.vn |
The communal house was listed among the national relic cultural and art sites in 1998, while it was still hosting gatherings and festivals of the local community.
With age and the ravages of time, the condition of the structure has seriously deteriorated. The roof has several holes, resulting in sunlight and rain entering the house. Wooden pillars have been destroyed by heat and humidity, and can collapse any time.
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| Historical treasure: The house has various sculptures in Nguyễn dynasty style. – Photo dantri.com.vn |
“Rain enters the house, flooding the halls,” Hoàng Văn Kiệm, chairman of Đình Chu Commune, said. “The local authorities have warned the local people not to approach the site for fear of its collapse. In the past few years, the site has been abandoned and cannot host the annual festival.”
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| Stunning: The house is heavily decorated with beautiful carvings on wooden pillars and beams. – Photo dantri.com.vn |
Kiệm said the provincial authorities approved a project in 2013 to upgrade the site at a cost of nearly VNĐ18.5 billion (US$822,200). But the project never took off.
“We hope the project will be carried out soon to save the valued relic site,” he said. — VNS
